ECP deploys satellite vans in remote areas to get timely election results

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), with the help of the police, has geo-tagged all polling stations established across the country and deployed satellite vans in remote areas to ensure the timely delivery of election results.

Sources said that the ECP, with police assistance, has completed the geo-tagging of buildings across the country that will serve as polling stations on February 8.

In addition, almost all polling stations have a DSL internet connection, and CCTV cameras have been installed at sensitive polling stations.

Sources said that returning officers (ROs) in remote areas will transfer the election results through the satellite system to the ECP.

Overall, approximately 90,000 polling stations have been established across the country for the February 8, 2024 poll. The Electronic Management System will work in both the online and offline modes.

If the internet is not available at any place for any reason, the presiding officer of the concerned polling station will physically submit the result to the returning officer, sources added.

During the 2018 elections, the ECP established almost 84,000 polling stations across the country. The presiding officers were instructed to send the results directly to the Election Commission, causing the RTS system to malfunction.

However, this time, the returning officers, with the help of data entry operators, will transfer the results of the national and provincial assemblies to the EMS system, as well as an Excel sheet, so that the authorities at the ECP can oversee the entire system.

According to election rules, the presiding officers are required to deliver the results to the Election Commission by 10 am on February 9.

Project Director PM Colonel Saad, along with the Secretary of the Election Commission, briefed the media and expressed confidence in the election management system. They stated that extensive experiments have been conducted with the EMS.

The ECP secretary mentioned that around 3,000 laptops have been arranged for the election management system, and 3,600 operators have been trained. A private network has been established to run this system.

He further stated that this system will function even without the internet.

He also acknowledged that returning officers had encountered some problems, but they have been resolved. He clarified that returning officers of NA 197 should have called the helpline instead of writing a letter to the commission.

He added that the problems identified during the EMS pilot exercise have been addressed.

The responsibilities of the presiding officer are simple. They are required not only to take pictures of the election results but also to paste them outside the polling stations.